


When the Day Met the Night

by itsfineeverythingsfine



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Angst, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family, I Don't Even Know, Imprinting (Twilight), Rewrite, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-08 05:36:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17380592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsfineeverythingsfine/pseuds/itsfineeverythingsfine
Summary: Was there a standardized response to finding out that one was adopted, had a twin sister she’d never had any knowledge of, and had a set of newly-discovered biological parents somewhere in the world? Rebecca Stevens didn't think so.What was initially planned as a short trip to catch up with this sister she'd never known turned into much far more than could have been anticipated. Becca had never been one to believe in monsters, ghosts, legends, or fables, but perhaps she would have done well to put more stock in such things.Not that anything could have prepared her for what Forks had to offer.[rewrite of a fanfiction I wrote ~10 years ago as a play on the popular Draw This Again meme (Write This Again?) or on the 10-year challenge]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> "What happens when a girl shows up in this rainy little town? And what happens when a certain someone sees her? Does Jacob finally imprint? Find out here! Summary is sucky, story is better than it sounds! Jacob/OC"
> 
> This was the summary of a fanfiction I published in 2009 (~age 12-13). The story was NOT better than it sounded (l o l so much cringe). Thanks to my friend E who I am dedicating this story to, for always making fun of me for my old fanfictions. You asked for this. It might be just as much cringe - we'll have to see. 
> 
> By way of explanation, this is a play on the popular Draw This Again meme, except with a plot I made ~10 years ago. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I am not an English major, and most of the writing I have done in the past four years has been for scientific papers, so please take this with a grain of salt. I am trying my very best to stay within the vague constraints I have given myself on the plot. I am going to attempt to follow along with the ~*~vision~*~ of 13-year old me. I also haven't read the Twilight series in literally years (think middle school), so BIG shout out to Wikipedia. Thanks, dude. 
> 
> Enjoy.

**March 25th, 2006**

“Michelle?” Her voice sounded odd, even to her own ears, and she cleared her throat as she attempted to calm her suddenly-racing pulse. “I think I may have met someone…” The words were uttered quickly — her mindset being that perhaps it would be like ripping off a bandaid. Maybe the questions could be over faster if the news was told more quickly as well? It was foolish to even think she’d be so lucky. The phone held clutched in her left hand was quickly dropped from her left ear, and wincing slightly as her best friend’s resounding “What?!” echoed throughout the phone, she gingerly replaced it a moment later. 

“Listen — yeah, I’m serious. I might… I’m thinking about staying here a little longer than I initially thought,” she breathed. “I haven’t told my parents yet, but... things are a little crazy here. They’re good, but I don’t think I can come back just yet.” 

Her friend’s excited babbling came through the phone along with a whirlwind of questions and demands for pictures and all of the details. It felt like old times. What felt like a semi-normal conversation for once, seemed to lift stress immediately from her shoulders. At least the news had been received so well by her friend of nearly thirteen years. Not that it would make the next call she would have to make to her parents any easier… 

——————

**February 25, 2006**

The plane ticket felt hot in her hand as she slowly made her way forward through the boarding line, the slight weight of the paper feeling far more significant than it should. She already missed her parents, who had dropped her off at the airport entrance with tears and kisses on her mother’s part, and a warm hug from her father. She’d never been away from home for longer than a weekend before, and though it had been less than an hour since her parents had left, she was already feeling homesick. 

Perhaps it was just nerves? Knowing that what lay on the other side of this trip was a portion of a family which she had never known, up until several months before. A father (in the biological sense, at least), and even a twin sister she had never known. She snorted derisively to herself as the thought crossed her mind that this would have made a very typical Hallmark movie. She looked up apologetically as the man in front of her jumped in surprise, shooting a glance over his shoulder at the sudden noise. “Sorry,” she murmured quickly, raising a free hand to adjust the strap of the bookbag on her shoulder to cover the action. Apprehensively, she took a step closer to the front of the line. Looking down once again at the ticket in her hand, the girl read the top line once again which stated her destination. The words there were printed with black ink, fading in some sections from what seemed to be a shoddy printer, but they stuck out at her just as if they had been written in bright red ink and underlined, instead. 

—————

**November 15, 2005**

 

_What sort of name was Forks?_

There were many questions that Rebecca “call-me-Becca” Stevens found herself contemplating as she frowned over a cup of her favorite Earl Grey. Lids fell over brown eyes momentarily as she took a deep breath, finding an instance of comfort in the action as her senses were — at least, for the moment — overtaken briefly with the faint smell of bergamot. Then they were flickering open once more to again to face the reality of the situation, shifting back to the pair of cerulean eyes staring worriedly back at her. Her mother sighed and moved to set a hand atop hers, the comforting gesture enough to bring moisture to her eyes. She quickly blinked this away and cleared her throat, taking another sip of her tea to hide the action. 

“So, this isn’t a prank?” Becca asked finally once she’d swallowed the mouthful of quickly-cooling liquid. 

She knew it wasn’t — knew that her parents were not inherently cruel people. Her mother was a doctor who saved lives for a living, after all. But it had been the only thing she knew to say. The corner of her mouth twitched upwards in her attempt to let her mother know that she was only teasing. Somewhat.

Katherine Stevens shook her head at her daughter, feeling both guilty and relieved, but also quite like perhaps she shouldn’t have told her about the secret she’d been harboring for nearly eighteen years. She wanted to pull the girl into her lap to comfort her like she once had when Becca had been a child. Something that always had worked before, when the problems were much simpler. Katherine could handle skinned knees and elementary school boyfriends just fine, but telling one’s only child that they had been adopted was a far different story. It felt like a betrayal, even to her. She cleared her throat as well, before opening her mouth to speak again. 

“How’s it going in here?” The two looked up from where they were seated side-by-side at the dining room table, offering similarly wan smiles in greeting to Daniel, her father, as he stepped back into the kitchen. 

Katherine took his hand reassuringly as he approached them, before turning towards her daughter for an answer, raising one blonde eyebrow in prompt. The eighteen-year-old took a deep, steadying intake of air before responding. Stressed, overwhelmed, confused, freaking out? “Fine, I think. It’s just a lot to process,” she finally said decidedly, offering them what she hoped was at least a neutral expression. Inwardly, she reminded herself to stay positive about the situation. Things could be worse. 

Was there a standardized response to finding out that one was adopted, had a twin sister she’d never had any knowledge of, and had a set of newly-discovered biological parents somewhere in the world? She didn’t think so. 

One shaking hand pushed a long tendril of brown hair out of her face, some part of her mind wondering how and when it had escaped the confines of the bun she had thrown it into prior to her morning jog. 

“So this…Charlie? He reached out to you guys to ask if I wanted to come and visit my sister?” It sounded ridiculous to her own ears, and she turned from parent to parent in hope of another explanation. It didn't matter that they had been through it twice already, and part of her hoped that at any moment she would wake up from whatever dream this was shaping up to be. If this was a totally too-realistic and strange dream or nightmare or whatever, she was really going to need to stop drinking caffeine so close to bedtime… 

She pinched her leg through the thin material of her leggings to be sure. It hurt — definitely not a dream. 

Her mother nodded at her earlier question, contemplating it briefly. “He said that she was...going through a hard time. He and Renée reached out — your biological mother,” she added quickly, for clarity. “They were young and barely able to care for one child, let alone two,” continued Katherine, her eyes fixed on her daughter’s. “You were our miracle.” 

It took another hour of discussion, explanations, and assurances from her parents that she was their daughter and that nothing could ever change their love for her — something she had not ever doubted but was comforted by nevertheless — before Becca finally rose from the table, clearing her throat. “I think… well, it could be nice to meet them,” she decided finally, despite the bubble of nerves that came with the statement. “If you guys are okay with it.”

It was something that she hadn't yet given thought to — of course, she had thought of several additional problems associated with going to visit this new extension of family that she had never known. But, Becca had always been a relatively positive person, and it was with another release of breath that she steadied herself in her decision. 

She would graduate in less than a month towards the middle of December — a semester early, thanks to careful planning and an intention to hopefully job-shadow in her semester off before university would start in the subsequent fall semester (if she were accepted, fingers crossed). That had been the plan for over a year now, ever since she had started showing an interest in science, thanks to the Michigan private school her parents had enrolled her in. She wasn’t sure exactly what she wanted to do, but what high-school student was? Maybe she would be a physician like her mother or teach chemistry like her father. There were plenty of possibilities, and she was excited to explore exactly what options were available to her. 

Maybe getting away for a month or so — even if it was to a place named after a utensil, of all things — could be good. Who knew? Maybe the podunk town would surprise her.

———————

**December 4th, 2005**

The month passed quickly, and Becca found herself growing more and more nervous as her upcoming visit drew nearer. She had been given her sister Isabella’s phone number, and although they had texted a few times, the other seemed less than interested in the conversations. Charlie, on the other hand, seemed overjoyed that she was going to come to visit. During one extended phone call, he had confided that Bella had been ‘under the weather’ from what sounded like something of a messy breakup. Not that Becca had exactly asked many questions on the subject. While her nerves to meet this portion of her family continued to grow, along with questions she knew she would likely never ask, she was also excited at the prospect. 

She said as much one evening during the week before finals while studying with her best friend, Michelle. Becca sighed as she flipped through her biology textbook, rereading over a sticky note which she had placed there earlier in the semester with a highlighted and underlined reminder to remember a particular section of that chapter. Before she could fully re-read the text there, her eyes flicked up to her friend instead as she heard a small sigh from behind her. She understood the signal well enough and raised an eyebrow expectantly, knowing that there was something on the other girl’s mind. 

Michelle Blake had been Becca’s best friend since before elementary school. Her friend pushed short locks of hair out of her face and sat up from where she had been seated on Becca’s bed, turning to face her instead of the textbook she had been pouring over moments before. “So, are you nervous?” she asked bluntly and quite poignantly as her pencil tapped against one kneecap audibly, echoing whatever nervous (or excited, as Michelle herself would likely have described it) energy which she always seemed to exude. 

“About what? This final?” Becca responded after a momentary pause, offering a teasing smile as she also straightened up. She turned her seat away from the desk, knowing fully that she hadn’t been referring to how comfortable she was with the Kreb’s cycle. 

Michelle simply rolled her eyes, snorting derisively. “You know what I mean, Becca. Are you really going to spend an entire month in Washington?” she asked, frowning. “It’s bad enough you’re graduating early, but you’re also leaving me while I suffer here alone. What if Ryan finally asks me out? Who am I supposed to turn to for advice?” continued the girl, a grin overtaking her features as her tone turned teasing and dramatic. 

Becca rolled brown eyes in pseudo-exasperation, shaking her head at the other. She didn’t exactly know what to expect, but she was determined to make the best of the situation. “I mean — yeah, I’m a little nervous,” she said finally, offering a shrug which she hoped appeared mostly nonchalant. “But I’m not leaving until February. We’ll have all of winter break and some after that to figure out exactly what to do about the Ryan-Situation.” Becca’s tone had turned conspiratorial, and she quickly reached for and flicked a balled-up post-it note at Michelle. “Besides, you and I both know we’ll end up calling daily. It’ll be like that time your family went down to visit your family in Texas for the summer. I distinctly remember surviving that ordeal.” 

She turned back towards her desk at this, making another mark on the paper which she had written out a quick ‘Finals Week To-Do List’. Becca scowled down at her handwriting briefly, finding the letters messy, uneven and disorganized, despite her best efforts. Handwriting aside, at least having lists always served to make her feel better and far more organized and in control of her life — something that for the past month she had felt had been difficult, considering.

“Come on, do you want to do well on this final or not? Here,” she paused, scooping up the stack of notecards beside her and turning back to her friend with a smile as she shuffled through them. “Now, how much ATP is gained from the electron transport chain?” 

———————

**February 25, 2006**

The approximately two and a half hour flight passed uneventfully, and rather unmemorably considering the short nap Becca had managed to take mid-flight to pass the time. Her father had always teased her in the past for being able to fall asleep just about anywhere, and airplanes were no exception. As the pilot announced that they would be landing soon and the seatbelt lights flickered back to life above them, Becca’s pulse began to slowly tick faster and faster in a way that she felt was entirely unrelated to any new-onset anxiety relating to the aircraft landing. For the first time in her life, she was in Washington state — a rather green place, considering the aerial view she had gotten of it on the way over. Her parents had spoken at length with Charlie regarding the visit in the weeks leading up to it, and they had gone to lengths to assure her that the instant she wanted to come home, there would be a flight for her. The idea of a quick escape if things didn’t work out was rather appealing, and it was with this thought in mind that she took a deep, steadying breath. Who knew what the little town of Forks would be like, after all? All that Google had really been able to tell her was that it rained, frequently, and that there was some nearby national park. As for Bella and Charlie Swan, well, she’d figured that there was no sense in worrying about things which she wouldn’t be able to change, apart from doing her very most to put her best foot forward. 

Regardless, Becca was determined to make the most of the trip. Perhaps she could visit some of the larger towns in the area for shopping and whatever else the state of Washington had to offer. Surely, the locals would be able to provide some ideas for sight-seeing and whatever else they did there for fun. It would be an adventure, she repeated again in her head as an attempt to convince herself of the words. 

As soon as the plane landed and the passengers had begun to disembark, Becca reached into her pocket for her phone, quickly flipping open the top and indenting the button on the side until the screen came to life once again. Finding Michelle in her favorites, she hit call and pressed the phone to the side of her face as she waited through the rings. 

It rang twice before her friend finally answered. “Hey! You made it to utensil-town, then?” came Michelle’s all-too-familiar voice, followed by a short snort of laughter at her own joke. Becca could almost see her freckled nose crinkling in amusement from there.

“Sure did — alive and well, for now,” answered Becca, grinning at the sound. She would have to call her parents later after things would settle in, but she knew well enough that that particular conversation would be longer than the free couple of minutes before she found Charlie in the airport. Not that she exactly knew what he looked like. “How’s Grand Rapids? I miss it already. Too bad the Swans couldn’t have lived somewhere warm and sunny,” she added, eyes shifting to a window which was being presently being battered with rain. The persistent rain was a fact which Becca had been less than enthusiastic about in truth, but she was determined to remain optimistic. 

“Oh — hold on, Michelle. I might have to call you back, I think I see my bag,” she added quickly as she saw the light green suitcase shifting towards her on the conveyor belt full of luggage. Flipping the phone closed with a solid snap and depositing it quickly into one of the pockets of her jeans, she darted forward and quickly grabbed hold of the exposed handle, shifting its weight off of the belt and to the ground below. Hefting it right-side-up, she straightened and began her trek towards the airport entrance where Charlie had said he would meet her. The airport was relatively small — especially compared to the much larger airport from which she had left Michigan — and it was easy to maneuver through. It took only a few moments to reach the front lobby, even despite hesitation associated with the temptation to stop at a small coffee shop she’d passed on the way there. The rich scent of the roasted coffee beans had nearly been enough to warrant the likely overpriced purchase, but with a feat of willpower (or so she liked to think), she pushed on without the aid of caffeine. 

It only took a minute further once she’d reached the lobby to locate her name. It was written in bold black letters on what appeared to be a piece of white copy paper, unmistakably ‘Rebecca Stevens’. This was held by a man standing near the entrance whom she assumed to be none other than Charlie Swan. Charlie was a relatively tall man with dark, curly hair and kind eyes, and a large mustache accenting his upper lip. Becca would have been lying to have denied seeing the slight resemblance of herself in him. It was nearly surreal. This in mind, she adjusted a friendly smile onto her face and began walking towards the man. 

Catching his eye, Becca could scarcely miss the surprised glance as he took in her appearance. She had been sent a picture of Isabella and although they were not exactly identical, the resemblance between them was uncanny. Their hair differed by more than a couple of inches in length, at least at whatever time the picture had been taken, and Isabella seemed to be at least a shade or two paler than Bella herself and her eyes might have been slightly more closely-set, but the similarities were there. They were present in the color of their hair and in their eyes, and even in their general facial structures, as her mother had astutely pointed out. 

“Hey,” she greeted cheerily as she approached, unable to help but wondering where exactly her sister was. She was still getting used to the thought of even having a sister, but nevertheless Becca was excited to meet her. “Charlie, I hope?” Becca asked as she approached the man, reaching out a hand to shake his own in greeting when she was within a few steps of him. Charlie nodded gruffly before his lips — and subsequently, his mustache — rose into something of a smile. 

“Rebecca! It’s nice to finally meet you in person,” he greeted quickly, reaching to help with her bag. It wasn’t all that heavy, but the gesture was nice. “So grown up. You and Bella, both,” he shook his head at this, a mild flicker of some unidentifiable expression going across his face for just a moment before the smile was back in place. “Bella’s back home,” added the man by way of explanation, almost as an afterthought. He was smiling still, but Becca couldn’t help but notice that at the mention of her sister this seemed to have become somewhat strained. She didn’t have time to even attempt speculation over the matter before they were starting for Charlie’s police cruiser parked outside. Becca was certain she would hear about whatever was bothering him before too long if it were truly something to worry about. 

————

The ride back to the Swan residence went in relative silence, with a few pleasantries between them along the way. Becca had initially attempted to keep up the conversation up best she was able in the beginning, but the Fork’s Police Chief seemed to be more comfortable with silence, and thus she let the conversation drift off, listening instead to whichever radio station the car was tuned to. She didn’t exactly hear the songs playing there, rather focused as she was on the plethora of green foliage which blurred by outside of the police cruiser’s windows. She couldn’t help but think that there was quite a lot of green. Vaguely, she wondered if this was because of the sheer amount of precipitation the town received. 

It did not take long before the car pulled in front of a quaint, two-story home with surrounding trees and a forest edge. In Michigan, she lived in a suburb and while this was nice in its own right, there were neighbors on each side and certainly no forest in sight. It seemed peaceful here, despite the drizzling rain which had continued since leaving the airport. As they got out of the car, Becca’s eyes landed on a rather old-looking red truck which sat on the edge of the street outside of the home. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered briefly if that was really what her sister drove. It looked as though it were on its last leg by outward appearances alone, but what did she know about cars? 

As Charlie helped her into the house with her bag, having been quite insistent on helping despite her offering to carry it up herself. Taking her sneakers off once inside Becca carefully set them aside a pair of what appeared to be a rather worn pair of Vans and another set of what seemed to be fishing boots. The inside of the home itself was small and tidy, and she couldn’t help but feel comforted at the very sight of it. Her nerves were unwarranted, she reminded herself quickly. Everything would certainly be just fine. 

Charlie’s voice brought her back to the present moments later, and she smiled again as he motioned up the stairs for her to follow. “Bella should be up here, in her room,” he was busy saying, pointing out the bathroom and the general direction of the kitchen as they walked past. “We have an air mattress set up for you in here,” continued Charlie as they ascended the stairs. He stopped outside of a partially closed door at the top landing and pushed it open with his elbow. It was small, but it was perfect. It looked to have been a small office previously, and there were a few boxes of what appeared to be papers or files in one of the corners near the small wooden desk which was flush against one of the walls. A small wooden dresser sat beside this, which also appeared to have been placed there for her convenience. Charlie moved to set her bag down carefully beside the bed, which appeared to have been made carefully with light purple sheets and a slightly worn duvet. A small window with white sills overlooked the bed, although considering the overcast day and the large shadow cast by an oak tree just outside, it provided little by way of light. 

“I know it’s small, but if you need anything at all while you’re staying with us just let me know,” he was saying after flicking the light switch near the door, which illuminated a single overhead bulb. Becca couldn’t help but notice that the man’s tone was generally nervous as he stood in the doorway, watching as she looked around what would be her room for the next month or so. She beamed back at him at his words, hoping to assuage some of his uneasiness at the state of the room. “No, it’s perfect. Really. Thank you for going to so much trouble,” she was adding quickly, motioning around the room. “I hope I’m not getting too much in the way of your work by taking up your office space...”

Charlie quickly waved this off, clearing his throat instead as he murmured something about the room having needed a good decluttering, regardless. Then, a thought striking him, he stepped back out into the hallway and called across the hall. “Hey, Bells? You home?” A muffled voice responded, and Charlie again motioned for Becca to follow. 

They stepped across the hall and after a quick knock, Charlie turned the knob and led them into a room with wooden floors, light blue walls, and a peaked ceiling. A girl sat on the purple bedspread, looking up curiously as they entered. She straightened up and offered what seemed to be a ghost of a smile in greeting. “Rebecca?” the girl asked, despite knowing the answer already. The familial appearance was striking between them. 

“Isabella,” Becca responded immediately, still smiling despite the return of what felt like nerves bubbling up within her. “You can call me Becca,” she added quickly, turning her glance to Charlie as well, to which she was greeted with a quick nod of understanding. Which Rebecca wasn’t a bad name per se, she had always preferred the alternative nickname.

Her twin nodded at this, curious (albeit, tired-appearing) eyes never leaving Becca’s face. “Bella,” she countered, moving to stand in order to better greet her sister. Perhaps they had more in common than looks alone. Upon closer inspection, Bella appeared wan and thin, with dark circles beneath familiar-looking brown eyes. Inwardly, Becca wondered if some of that might just be fixed with a good night’s sleep and a day in the sun — if such a day ever occurred in a town with such a persistently rainy climate. Maybe she would be able to convince Bella to go to the beach with her one day if the other was up for it. Upon searching the town on the internet, Becca and Michelle had found several pictures of some nearby beach and shopping centers, which had given her hope that there would at least be something fun to do…

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Bella. It’ll be fun getting to know each other!” Becca added, her tone as hopeful as she could muster as she reminded herself internally to remain as positive as she were able.

———————

**March 3, 2006**

Propping one leg up and onto the porch step before her, Becca stretched and bent, relishing in the endorphins that had been released from the run she had just ended. Nearly slipping on the damp wood of the porch, she laughed and caught herself on the rail, straightening up before she could accidentally twist an ankle, accident-prone as she was. It had been just about two weeks since Becca’s first arrival in Forks. She was beginning to get into something of a routine there, at the least, despite some initial awkwardness that had accompanied living for a time with what had essentially been strangers to her. Although not the most talkative of roommates, her sister was at least friendly while she was there, and they thus far had gotten along. Not that Bella would talk about the weather, a bare minimum about school, and nothing at all about friends or relationships - or any similar topics. Perhaps that ‘messy break-up’ had been more traumatic than Becca had initially thought. She’d denied wanting to watch any movies with Becca and Charlie, and she had quietly asked Becca three nights before to turn off the little radio which she had unearthed in the corner of the room 

She rolled her eyes at the thought, internally thankful that her relationships had always ended fairly cordially, and thankfully, typically two-sided in their agreement for ending the relationship. Then again, she had never been in a relationship that had ever felt quite that serious, considering how typical high-school relationships seemed to be. For the most part, they felt quite shallow in retrospect, and for that, she was almost thankful. 

Despite wishing she could help cheer up her newly-acquired twin, she decided that perhaps leaving well-enough alone could be for the best. She would attempt to remain positive and if her so-called friend ‘Jacob Black’ ever got better from his apparent bout of mono, perhaps she could even question him on the subject of exactly what had happened between Bella and her ‘Mystery Ex’, as she had taken to thinking of him. Bella had called him countless times in the past several weeks, one day calling almost every hour on the hour, and Becca had watched as she googled the symptoms of mononucleosis. She had even attempted to half-way ask Charlie about the situation, but he had seemed uncomfortable speculating about it and had insisted that she instead work on trying to distract Bella from the situation at hand.

Distractions aside (unsuccessful as they were), nothing seemed to help her less-than-cheery mood, and on more than one occasion, Bella awoke complaining of nightmares the following morning. Not that Becca could have missed the panicked stream of murmurs and screams which she’d pretended to sleep through on all but the first occasion. She’d asked the first time if she’d wanted to talk about the dream, attempting to calm the situation by offering one of her own embarrassing nightmares in the past. Bella had looked away following this and claimed that she was fine - that she didn’t even remember the nightmare, after all. That had been the last Becca had asked about it, despite continuing concern (and a little frustration at the frequent wakings throughout the evenings and into the early morning). 

Shrugging off the memories of this, and looking up in surprise as the now-familiar dingy, red truck pulled into the driveway, she offered a quick upward motion of her hand in a wave as Bella returned from school. Graduating early had seemed like a good idea in the beginning to Becca, but in a sense, she almost missed the routine of it all. While she had managed to get one of the emergency room doctors at Forks Community Hospital to allow her to shadow for a couple of shifts, it wasn’t exactly how she’d planned on spending her semester off. And yet, part of her wouldn’t have changed the situation at all. She was growing fond of the new portion of relatives she had never known existed, and while she missed her family and friends, it was an adventure. At least, that’s how she was determined to look at the situation. 

“Hey,” she greeted jovially, offering a quick wave in greeting as her sister dismounted from the cab of the truck and carefully stepped out into the gravel of the drive. “How was school?” 

Bella shrugged and offered a smile which in truth seemed half-hearted, however her sister decided not to push broach the subject after a brief hesitation. “Not bad,” she responded finally, before pausing and turning back to Becca as she reached the first step of the porch. “Actually, I know this sounds weird, but I was wondering if you might want to go on a hike with me tomorrow…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone actually read this, let me know what you think lol. I tried.
> 
> Memorable quote from chapter 1 of my original fanfic: "'Your room is there. And Bella is a bit depressed right now, boyfriend troubles, so she may not talk that much to you.' [Charlie] said." 
> 
> So emotional. Much wow. Thanks to past me for all the cringe. You sucked.  
> Xoxo, future you.
> 
> Bye


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another one.  
> Enjoy! (Especially you @ E 😜)

**March 4, 2006**

Perhaps she should have asked more questions about their excursion that day, but at the word hiking, Becca’s interest had been piqued. Considering that hiking was an activity which to Becca seemed rather out of the ordinary for her equally or perhaps _more_ poorly-coordinated sister, despite having only known her for a short amount of time, she couldn’t help but question the sudden interest. Maybe it was healthy to want to try new things after a break-up. She kept her thoughts on the matter hopeful, and her questions to Bella minimal in fear of changing her mind. Why discourage something that could be potentially a great hobby for her? Especially in the wake of apparent issues with her friend, Jacob, who had reportedly miraculously improved from his “illness” and was instead out with friends for the day. Without even so much as a word. Becca was thankful that she had never had so much drama - nor disrespect if she were being entirely critical of his apparent inability to return phone-calls - with her own friends back home.

They had given Charlie the excuse of Becca wanting to go shopping in the nearby Port Angeles for the day, considering that Bella had convinced her that he wouldn’t exactly approve of them wandering throughout the woods with the possible threat of bears or other dangerous animals lurking about. Her first weekend staying with the Swans, he had warned her of the reports regarding recent animal attacks - something which was not exactly as present nor as prevalent in Michigan. But ever an optimist, and perhaps a bit daft or naïve, she had decided that surely they would be just fine. Still, she had made sure to attach the pepper spray that Charlie had given her to her belt, just in case. It was better than nothing at all, should something happen. Not that she was even sure that pepper spray would have any effect on a bear. 

Bella had explained the bare minimum, with a brief mention that she and the ever-elusive Jacob had been attempting to find some meadow in the past, and she had shown her the maps onto which they had been attempting to track their progress in finding this meadow. There seemed to have been a lot of progress, and briefly she felt a quick shock of anger that Jacob had been so rude to her sister as of late. They seemed to have good friends, by all accounts, and even the off-comments from Charlie about the situation seemed to show that things had been better since she’d started spending time with the boy. 

Bella had been vague in description of just how she had initially found this area previously, and Becca had a feeling that perhaps there was part of the story that she didn’t yet know. Offhandedly, she wondered if maybe that could be something to talk about as they hiked through the woods that day, but as they pushed further and further into the forest after park the truck, she was beginning to doubt that it was a conversation Bella would have willingly. 

Stepping out of a patch of brambles which seemed to stick relentlessly to the denim fabric of her jeans, Becca gingerly continued forward through the briars. She attempted to remain close to her sister as they continued further and further into the thick foliage of the forests of Fork, knowing that she would be lost without a doubt without the aid of a compass and map, as Bella had clutched tightly in one of her hands presently. She grimaced as one of her boots lodged into a patch of mud and with some effort was able to dislodge it a moment later with a loud squelch. It splashed up onto her jeans above the lip of her boots, and Becca made a face of distaste in reaction. 

“I guess I should have expected all of the mud, considering the rain,” she said finally, her voice breaking the until-then continuous twittering of birds and steady drip of the previous evening’s rain from the tree leaves above them. The early afternoon sun, rare for Washington state, dappled the trees with golden spots of lights and shadows as it filtered through the leaves and partial clouds above. It was beautiful, and despite some difficulty maneuvering their way through the underbrush without any predefined trail, Becca still found herself glancing around in wonder at their surroundings. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wished she’d had a camera to capture it. And still, Becca doubted that it would have done it justice. 

Bella shot a glance back towards her sister, shooting her a rare smile which Becca hoped was genuine. Maybe some fresh air had been just what the other girl had needed? “It looks like it gets better up here,” she assured Becca, pulling herself clumsily up and over a tree log as they trudged forward. Following suit and shifting both feet forward into a patch of spongy, green moss, Becca found herself taking this assessment quite dubiously. 

Becca wasn’t sure how long nor how far the two continued forward from there, but when Bella’s sudden intake of breath again broke the pattern of the forest noises and two pairs of feet shuffling through detritus, her head snapped up sharply in surprise. Moving a hand to her forehead to wipe away a bead of perspiration there, she hurried to cover the few feet between them to catch up. “Hey, what is it?” she called, unsure if the noise had been exactly good or bad. She hoped that it had been more of a surprised, ‘we found the meadow’ gasp, rather than the subjectively worse ‘I see a vicious animal’ kind. Pushing aside a large fern leaf that nearly reached chin-level, Becca peered through the hanging plants and moss and stepped into what appeared to be a large, symmetrical clearing filled with tall grass in varying shades of greens and browns. 

The sky above had become overcast and cloudy, but Becca still paused for a moment in awe of the area. Despite however many miles of hiking and the various scratches that now occupied much of the surface area of the skin on her arms, now that they were there she felt as though it were worth it to at least see the area once. 

“There are no flowers,” she thought she’d heard Bella murmur from somewhere beside her, and surmised that her sister must have visited the area previously in the spring or summer months. Still, it was beautiful without the flowers, and she couldn’t help but spin in a slow circle, taking it all in. 

Before she could comment on as much, movement in the corner of her eye caused her to pivot quickly to her left, just in time to see Bella sink down into the grass, a profound expression of disappointment keenly evident on her face. She was there, physically at least, but her eyes were focused unseeingly on a point somewhere on the opposite end of the meadow. “Bella, what’s going on?” She was growing panicked now, her tone raising an octave as she dropped down beside her. “What happened?”

There was no answer at this until Becca’s hand reached her shoulder, shaking gently. Bella shook her head furiously, seemingly bringing herself back to the present. There was nothing she could say that could disguise the fractured expression she had worn only a moment prior. “I’m fine, I don’t know what I was expecting,” she half mumbled. Then, shooting to her feet so quickly that Becca felt nearly dizzy watching the motion, she turned as if to dart from the clearing. “I’m sorry, can we go? Please?” Bella started to ask, her tone pleading as their eyes met. “I don’t think I can be here.” Confused and concerned that perhaps her newfound sister had absolutely lost it, she straightened up as well, a hand shooting out to stop the other girl. 

“Does this have to do with this guy you’re hung up on? Wait-,” Becca started to call but stopped again in surprise as a deep, smooth voice behind them spoke out.

“Bella?”

Becca nearly jumped out of her skin, her heart thudding suddenly in a way that she wasn’t sure had anything to do with the physical exertion from hiking all morning. Her head turned as though on a swivel, confusion flooding her as she took in the man standing on the other side of the field. He was obviously attractive, sure, but creepy in another sense. Perhaps that had something to do with the fact that he seemed to know her sister, and that he seemed rather effortlessly composed for someone who had just had to trudge through a forest as they just had. Becca was shocked into momentary silence, however, it seemed that the man’s appearance had the opposite effect on Bella.

“Laurent. You remember,” she’d said, her tone level. What the hell?

They were both smiling, now, and the man called Laurent was now strolling leisurely towards them. It felt like some sick joke to which Becca was the only one without knowledge of the punchline. 

“And who is this? Such family resemblance,” came the man’s lilting jeer. “I didn’t expect to see anyone here. And surely not you, of all people.”

Bella’s face turned back towards Becca’s as though only just remembering that she was there. Becca couldn’t help but think that she was much less alarmed than she should be, considering, but decided it best to keep quiet on the subject. 

“My sister,” Bella said quickly, alarm finally seeming to sink in as some realization struck her. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? I live here. I thought you’d gone to Alaska.” 

Confusion and alarm raged for predominance within Becca as she took a second look at the man, and for the first time meeting his eyes. They were dark and, more unsettling than anything, a vivid red. Unsure if it was a conscious decision or not, she took a step backward as the man continued to draw nearer to the both of them. Drawing in a shaky breath, she couldn’t help but wonder exactly what he wanted - or what he was, at that. Eerily, his movement reminded her of a predator stalking its prey, like on some nature documentary. Her fingers tightened on the pepper spray attached to her waist, hoping that it would be enough deterrence for them should the man try something. 

“Sister?” his tone did not hide his surprise, sounding nearly melodic as he mulled over the word. “Interesting, it’s nice to meet you, sister-of-Bella. Does she know?” The man grinned at this, although the smile was not altogether unfriendly. Did she know what? “And you’re right, I did go to Alaska,” agreed Laurent. “But I’d assumed when I found the Cullen place empty that they had moved on… Apparently, leaving you behind.” 

The intonation of the words sounded less than ideal to Becca, and panic flooded her at the thought. Who exactly were the Cullens? If the two of them survived the experience, damn Bella’s feelings, Becca had questions to which she expected answers. 

Bella was still talking and despite the sound of blood rushing in her ears and thoughts of possible exit strategies, Becca forced herself to focus. “She doesn’t know.” There would most certainly be questions. “We’ll have to mention to Carlisle that you stopped by. He’ll be sorry that they missed your visit,” Bella was saying. Who the hell was Carlisle?

Her words were blurring together, and Becca’s fingers dug into her sister’s arm as she tried to minutely pull her backward to keep as much of a distance between themselves and the man as possible. Whatever Bella was talking about, Laurent hadn’t seemed to believe her. “Bella,” Becca hissed under her breath, her eyes never leaving the man’s face. “We have to get home. Charlie will be looking for us,” she added meaningfully in a slightly louder tone, her breath uneven as she forced out the words - cutting off some conversation about cheating on a diet. Nothing made sense and although the conversation topic itself was innocent enough, every fiber in her being was screaming for them to leave immediately. 

“Get home so soon?” Laurent’s offered a sardonic grin at this, one perfect eyebrow slightly elevated in appraisal. 

Bella’s eyes shot over to meet Becca’s, wide and echoing similar concern. Thankfully, she finally seemed worried as well. “You should go ahead,” Bella said quickly, cautious eyes returning to the figure of Laurent, stalking ever forward. “I’ll catch up with you later.” Like hell, Becca thought furiously at this, shaking her head in response.  
“No, we’ll go together,” Becca answered firmly, eyes blazing as she turned back to the man. Her hands were shaking, but if they had to fight she wanted to be ready. The man seemed to find this amusing and uttered a short, musical laugh at this. 

Her gaze flitted to the ground then, shifting quickly in a search. Perhaps there was something here they could use for a weapon. A rock or a large stick — anything to give them time to run back to the forest’s edge. 

Unless the man was allergic to grass, anything around them seemed entirely unlikely to help. The conversation came into focus again as his next words reached her. 

"Well, you two have caught me at a bad time. I didn't come to this place on Victoria's mission — I was hunting. I'm quite thirsty, and the two of you do smell… _simply mouthwatering._ "

What the fuck did that mean? Becca’s immediate thought echoed throughout her mind at this statement, momentarily freezing her in place. Her hand closed around the pepper spray, pulling desperately on Bella’s arm with the other as she began to actively drag her back towards the edge of the clearing. Perhaps it wouldn’t stop him outright, but it could potentially buy them time. 

She didn’t have a chance to use or even raise it in defense, as the man suddenly began backing up step after step, horror and surprise reflected in his eyes. Initially, she’d thought that perhaps the pepper spray had intimidated him somehow, a thought that in and of itself was ridiculous. This was a thought immediately put to rest as a large, black creature stalked out into the clearing to their right, its hackles raised. The thing’s fangs bared viciously as its muzzle curled back in threat, a growl rumbling up from within the beast. The noise seemed to chill Becca to her bones, and she looked away only briefly to meet Bella’s similarly horrified gaze. The beast was flanked by several others, all large as horses and apparently _ravenous_. Altogether each event was seeming more and more like something from a nightmare. 

“We should go,” she hissed angrily at Bella once again in as quiet a voice as she could muster, her tone far more stable than she actually felt. “Seriously, while those... _things_ are distracted with this dude.” 

Bella gasped loudly before she could respond, jumping back and nearly taking the both of them down to the ground as another of what appeared to be _wolves-from-hell_ appeared beside her, so close that its russet fur appeared to have brushed her as it slinked past. Its eyes never shifted from the opposite end of the clearing. The two froze nevertheless, Becca’s hand still clutched white-knuckled on the other’s arm as she stabilized herself, watching in horror and waiting until the moment that one of the beasts inevitably realized that they were there. They continued forward slowly towards the man, however, not one shifting even the slightest glance towards the two of them. 

Had Becca blinked in the next instant, she would have missed Laurent’s exit from the clearing, not so much as a blur as he turned and disappeared in the tree line. It wasn’t human.

She didn’t pause to contemplate it. 

“ _Seriously, Bella?_ ” she asked, exasperated and horrified, pulling until she was finally able to push the other into motion. “Fucking _go_.” 

They ran through the woods for what seemed like hours longer than it had taken them to get there, their hands clutched together desperately for most of it. Becca felt like sobbing from the shock of it all whenever they finally stopped to check Bella’s compass, and maybe she _was_ sobbing, she wasn't sure, but the two pushed onward. They exited the forest at some point and, exhausted, continued to run north until they finally reached the forest edge where they had started their hike earlier that morning. The ugly red truck had never looked so beautiful by the time they had reached it however many miles later. The two sat there for what seemed like an hour but was likely closer to fifteen minutes, catching their breath and half-sobbing in relief, before Bella had finally composed herself enough to drive. Becca couldn't help but watch the forest's edge as they drove past as fast as the truck would allow. At one point, she'd almost imagined seeing large yellow eyes staring back at them...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another wonderful throwback quote from the original fic, published almost 10 years ago: “‘What the fudge did he do? If he hurt you- so help me.” I said menacingly. I felt already as if Bella and I were really close.”
> 
> So dramatic. So good. Much wow. 
> 
> Lol. Leave a comment if you want, idk.  
> Bye


	3. Chapter 3

**March 4, 2006**

Once the truck was safely back inside the confines of Forks, with now-familiar looking shops and buildings surrounding them, Becca allowed herself to take a full breath. Her heart still felt as though it were hammering erratically against her ribcage, although somewhat _less_ as though it were going to burst through her chest than it had been as they darted around trees and crashed through what had seemed like endless brambles. She was vaguely aware that her jeans had ripped at the knee and there was a small gash there from _who knew what_ they had run through in their haste to put as much distance between them and _whatever_ they had seen in that meadow as quickly as possible. There was a trickle of dried blood peeking through the rip in the fabric, and she viewed it almost-disinterestedly before turning wide eyes back over her shoulder, almost as though she expected a giant wolf to have been following them down Main street. But it was empty in the glare of the streetlights, and she let out a breath she hadn’t realized that she’d been holding. 

“Are you okay?” Becca asked finally, shifting her gaze almost hesitantly to her sister as she attempted to process exactly what she had seen. Bella’s expression froze her briefly — her jaw was clenched, eyes red and face splotched red with color from exertion and sobbing, and her face and hair dirty with bits of leaves and twigs and forest matter. Becca figured that she likely looked the same, but the sight floored her briefly before prompting again when she didn’t get an immediate response. “ _Bella?_ ”

Bella looked up from the road, seeming somewhat startled, before shaking her head from whatever reverie she had been lost in moments before. “I’m sorry, yeah — I’m fine, I think. Are you?”

Nodding, Becca cleared her throat. “Yeah, all things considered,” she responded, her tone wavering somewhat with relief and fatigue as it seemed to settle into her very core. But she stifled this feeling and straightened up in her seat. “Do you…—” she paused, considering her wording carefully before continuing. “You’ll _explain_ all of this, right? What you can?” The look of horror mirrored on Bella’s face had given Becca enough of an answer in that she herself hadn’t understood all of what they had seen. But there was something that the girl wasn’t telling her, and she was determined to collect as many of the facts of the situation as possible. That was how Becca had always dealt with things she hadn’t understood — collect the facts, review observations, examine the evidence, and come to a general understanding or hypothesis. It was methodical, and despite the situation feeling somewhat less than organized in her jumbled mind, she would make sense of it one way or another. 

Bella nodded, her expression suddenly hollow, but her tone was even nonetheless when she spoke next. “I’ll explain what I can,” Bella said after a pause, seeming to contemplate something. That would be enough. For now. “But you need to promise that Charlie doesn’t hear anything about that man — _Laurent_ ,” Bella’s voice quickly returned, her tone suddenly serious as she hit the brakes on the truck. Becca’s arm shot out to stabilize herself as the Chevy jolted to a stop with a squeal of protest, before turning to look at her sister with some indignation at the unexpected stop. Bella’s expression was enough to prevent any comment on the matter. 

“Okay, sure. We went for a hike, we saw the wolves, we ran away, and we got lost getting back,” Becca paused in her clarification in time to see a brief nod from Bella in agreement before continuing. “But I want to know everything. _No secrets._ ”

——————

Charlie hadn’t been happy — not that either girl had exactly expected him to, considering. He’d met them on the porch the moment he’d heard the grumble of the old truck pulling into the gravel on the street outside of the Swan residence. Forks’ Chief of Police made it clear to both of them that he had been _worried sick_ , in his own words, and that he was beyond disappointed that they had decided to go into the woods despite having been _expressly warned_ against the danger considering recent attacks. He certainly hadn’t missed their appearances as they burst out of the truck distraught, dirty, exhausted, and altogether relieved to be alive. Becca thought that perhaps the reason the two hadn’t been grounded on the spot was likely due to some pity at the very sight of them, bedraggled as they were. 

While Bella finished filling Charlie in on a rather abridged version of events in the woods, Becca leaned against the solid wood of the door frame leading into the kitchen. She allowed her eyes to close only briefly as she took in as deep of a breath as she could. They were safe, and far away from the woods — and hopefully, from the wolves and the strange man Laurent, if he had somehow survived what had seemed to be a likely attack from the pack. 

When Charlie’s parenting speech finally seemed to fizzle out and he instead began expressing that he was simply glad that they were safe — and that he _didn’t_ have to call Katherine and Daniel to tell them that he had _lost_ their daughter — Becca excused herself and quickly made for the stairs after another heartfelt apology. Her hair felt matted with tree sap with several new additions of leaves and dirt and tree fragments. There was plenty of time for explanations after a shower, came her exhausted reasoning despite residual fear from what they had seen. Her pulse seemed to spike in alarm at the very thought of the dark red eyes she had seen. Instead, Becca busied herself with dislodging all foreign materials from her hair to keep her mind off of the matter. 

———————

**March 5, 2006**

“Like Dracula?” came Becca’s exhausted whisper, “You can’t expect me to believe that, can you?”

It was nearing two in the morning, and despite already feeling a dull make in what seemed like every muscle of her body and _bone-deep_ exhaustion that begged for sleep, she was determined to hear every detail. They had been half-whispering to each other for the past two hours, long after the two had both showered and dressed for bed, and after Charlie had said goodnight and expressed again just how relieved he was that they were unharmed.

Bella had explained in halted, shuttering tones who exactly the Cullens were, who this Victoria was, and the fact that the man they had met in the clearing wasn’t exactly human. Becca took most of this in stride, surprising even herself, although part of her chalked this up to pure exhaustion. Perhaps she simply didn’t have any further space emotionally to handle any additional reactions after what they had been through. Her hands tightened on the mug of tea, only lukewarm now. It wasn’t earl grey, but any tea would do in a pinch. She needed something comforting now, even if it was a false comfort in comparison to what she had seen. But something even the slightest bit familiar was better than nothing, and for just a moment with the wafting aroma of the tea, she had been able to pretend that she was back in her parent’s little kitchen. She’d been able to believe that she was safe, without knowledge of any monsters which just a day prior she would have laughed at the very notion of. 

“So Victoria. She’s coming for you?” Becca’s voice was met with silence and a sharp intake of breath from Bella. They sat across from one another on Becca’s bed — her room being the furthest from Charlie’s, and the least likely for them to be overheard in. Despite the duvet she had wrapped herself in and draped over her shoulders like a shroud, she felt a shiver run through her at the thought. She continued, taking her reaction as enough of an affirmative answer. “And these… _Cullens_. They aren’t coming back? You can’t like… _let them know,_ somehow, that this other v— _vampire_ is after you?” Surely, considering that (in Becca’s opinion) it was their fault that Bella was even a target, they owed her at least as much as making sure that she was safe before leaving. 

“No. They didn’t exactly leave a forwarding address,” answered Bella wryly after another moment of hesitancy, shaking her head as she briefly closed her eyes and rested her forehead against a bent knee as she seemed to contemplate the situation. “Maybe you should go back to Michigan,” continued Bella finally, lids flickering open once more. “If Laurent follows me here…” she let the sentence trail off, although the intent was clear. The implied threat seemed to hang over their heads like Damocles’ sword. 

A raised eyebrow was given in response to this. “Maybe _you_ should come to Michigan,” Becca countered, scoffing at the idea of leaving now. “It seems safer for you there than here. I’m not going to just… leave you here without anyone,” she continued, eyeing the girl over the chipped Forks Police Department mug she held in her hands. “At least, without someone else who knows what’s going on.” 

Bella’s head shook quickly in a definitive ‘no’, and instantly Becca knew why she wouldn’t leave. “Charlie,” she said before Bella could explain, nodding. “Then that settles it. We’re both staying.” Becca paused, thinking it over. “Hey, who knows? Maybe the wolves took care of Laurent,” she continued hopefully, taking another sip of lukewarm tea as she contemplated the matter. “At least that would buy you time... We could always try to track down these Cullens, too. They’re _somewhere_ , surely—” 

“ _No._ ” Bella’s response was immediate, and her tone enough to pause Becca mid-thought. She looked up quickly, brows furrowed as she considered the girl sitting across from her. “They left,” Bella answered by way of explanation, eyes downcast and averted as the topic was broached again. “I told you about _him_. He made it evident that there would be no further contact. _Like they’d never existed_. It’s not an option.” 

Becca simply nodded, her eyes wary as she contemplated this. Maybe Bella wouldn’t contact them, but Becca wasn’t afraid to try. Not if it meant the difference between life and death for her newly-found family. She wasn’t ready to lose them yet, and damn any mythical creature that would stand in the way of that. 

“Okay, we’ll find another way,” she answered instead, shaking her head. “For now, I think what the both of us needs is a solid eight hours of sleep, _at least_ ,” said Becca finally, fighting to stifle a yawn at the very thought of sleep. “We can talk more tomorrow.” 

Bella finally agreed, shifting her weight off of the other’s bed and drawing her blankets more tightly around her as she quietly made her way over the wooden floors and to the closed door. 

————————

**March 5, 2006**

Becca woke the next day in a daze, feeling as though every muscle and fiber of her being were sore and exhausted. She wondered briefly exactly what she had done — remembering the last time that she had been so sore had been after the 5K she had attempted (and just barely finished, jogging at what had felt to be a snail’s speed over the finish line) with her father the year prior. The events of the previous evening and day returned to her with a jolt and it was with a burst of fear that she sat straight upright in bed, the horror returning to her in a flash. It took nearly three minutes following to control her breathing and to ward off what certainly felt like a panic attack in the making, but with her head between her knees she finally straightened up carefully several moments later. 

Everything looked the same as it had before yesterday, yet now it all seemed different. She got to her feet carefully and straightened up unsteadily on the cold wooden floor. Once she’d pulled on a pair of jeans and a black tee-shirt for a band she hadn’t listened to in years, Becca made her way slowly to her door and pulled it open. It seemed early, judging by the appearance of the sky outside, although she hadn’t thought to look at the clock on the desk in Charlie’s old office. Just as she’d been about to approach Bella’s room to see if the other girl was alright, the door flew open instead. 

Bella rushed out like a bat out of hell, much to Becca’s confusion, and rushed down the stairs without so much as an explanation. Rubbing a hand over her eyes, Becca followed, taking the steps two at a time to catch up with her. “Bella, wait—” she called, concerned as she rounded the corner and came face-to-face with both Bella and Charlie in the hallway beyond the stairs below. “What’s going on?” 

Bella seemed to be explaining just that to Charlie, despite her sudden rush to get out of the house, and Becca strained to catch up on what she had missed. 

“—I have to go see Jacob,” Bella was saying, appearing nearly wild as her eyes darted to the door beyond Charlie. If Becca hadn’t known better, she would have almost expected her to make a run for it by the way she was acting. Something had to have happened, although Becca immediately fell silent as Charlie’s eyes met hers over Bella’s shoulders. Becca shrugged in response, seemingly just as confused as Charlie himself. 

“I thought the thing with Sam—”

“That doesn’t matter, I have to talk to him right now.”

“It’s pretty early.” Charlie seemed to be attempting to talk Bella out of the decision, although Becca knew just by a single glance at the other girl’s expression that she wouldn’t be budged. 

“Hey, I can go with her, Charlie,” Becca said quickly, deciding at that moment to help in what way she could. After yesterday, if Bella seemed so concerned about something, it seemed as though it would likely be important. 

Charlie’s mouth gaped open momentarily before it snapped shut again a moment later. A hand raised to receding hairline, and he looked between them quickly at a brief loss for words. “You’ll go straight to Jacob’s house, right? No stops on the way?” 

Bella nodded before Becca could even think to respond, reaching to grab Becca’s arm as she pulled her towards the door by another foot. “Sure — you can come, Becca. And of course not, where would I stop?”

Charlie didn’t seem to like this response and he frowned, looking between them. “I don’t know. It’s just… well, there’s been another attack—the wolves again. It was real close to the resort by the hot springs—there’s a witness this time. The victim was only a dozen yards from the road when he disappeared. His wife saw a huge gray wolf just a few minutes later, while she was searching for him, and ran for help.” 

So the wolves had survived the vampire encounter, Becca realized with a start. Maybe that did mean they had taken down Laurent, despite Bella’s insistence that they were _nearly_ indestructible. 

Bella seemed to take this news as though someone had just told her that her car had just burst into flames. She paled and seemed briefly horror-struck. “A wolf attacked him?” came Bella’s question, nearly a whisper. 

Considering what they had seen yesterday, Becca could hardly be surprised that a wolf was behind the attack, but she kept her mouth shut at this. Was this some anxiety-driven delayed response to what they had seen yesterday? 

“There’s no sign of him—just a little blood again,” Charlie was saying, looking between the two of them. “The rangers are going out armed, taking armed volunteers. There’s a reward being offered for wolf carcasses. That’s going to mean a lot of firepower out there in the forest, and it worries me.” Charlie shook his head at this, looking a mix between worried and alarmed. “When people get too excited, accidents happen…”

“Wait, people are actually trying to find those wolves?” Becca asked quickly, her voice rising half an octave in surprise. “You can’t. They _can’t_ , they’re massive!” In no world did sending humans out into the woods against the horse-sized wolves seem to be a good idea, and Becca felt her breath catch in her throat in alarm at the notion. 

Bella seemed just as worried, although her tone made Becca look at her in surprise. “They’re going to shoot the wolves?” Was she worried more for the safety of the wolves themselves?

Charlie himself seemed to find this odd as he studied Bella’s expression. “What else can we do? What’s wrong? You aren’t turning into a tree-hugger on me, are you?” He turned back to Becca at this, his expression obviously arranged in an attempt to be reassuring. “Now listen, I don’t want you two to let this scare you. I have to go, but just—” he paused, searching for words. “Stay in town or on the highway—no stops—okay?”

For the first time, Becca took in Charlie’s appearance as well after initially being distracted by Bella’s sudden barrage down the stairs. He seemed ready for a hike with sturdy jeans and hiking boots in place, and his gun strapped onto his waist. Bella seemed to notice this as well and immediately raised her hands, shaking her head. “Wait, wait—you aren’t going out there after the wolves, are you, Dad?”

The answer seemed obvious, but it wasn’t until Charlie verbalized this that the realization seemed to truly strike Bella. “No! No, don’t go. It’s too dangerous!” 

Becca had never heard the other’s voice nearly so panicked, and her eyes widened at the hysterical tone in her voice. She and Charlie exchanged a helpless glance before he finally cleared his throat, offering Bella an apologetic glance. 

“I’ve got to do my job, kid. Don’t be such a pessimist—It’ll be fine.” Charlie turned for the door then, moving to hold it open as he glanced back at the two of them questioningly. “Are you guys leaving?”

Bella didn’t answer at first, and instead, Becca cleared her throat, shaking her head. “I don’t think so,” she said quickly. Receiving no contradiction statements from Bella, she continued. “It’s probably too early for La Push. We’ll be fine,” Becca added, pulling her gaze from Bella’s face to again meet Charlie’s worried gaze. “Be careful, though. Good luck.” 

Charlie nodded, seemingly relieved that the two _weren’t_ leaving, and stepped out the door after a muttered goodbye. 

Once the door was shut and several silent seconds had passed as the sound seemed to reverberate around them, Bella dropped to the floor beside her, placing her head between her knees and seemingly muttering something to herself. 

Wasting no time, Becca dropped down beside her. “Bella, what the hell?” she asked finally, one eyebrow raising in alarm. “Do you want to explain exactly what’s going on with you right now?”

——————

Bella was convinced that Jacob Black was a werewolf. 

Becca repeated that sentence in her head twice, but neither repetition seemed to help her understand at any greater level. Bella had explained in gasping breaths that Jacob had visited her early that morning, waking her from sleep to tell her about some secret. Almost. He had said that he _couldn’t_ tell her, instead relying on her vague memory of some Quileute legends he had told her once when she’d first moved to forks almost a year before. 

_“The part that kills me is that you already know. I already told you everything,”_ Bella had quoted Jacob in her explanation, nearly rolling her eyes at the words despite her obvious anguish over a situation Becca did not yet understand. Becca had never met this Jacob, but from what she had heard and seen of him, she was not his biggest fan. He seemed sketchy and _inconsiderate_ — and, if Bella was somehow right about him being one of the wolves they had seen in the clearing yesterday, that was more than enough reason to want to stay away. 

“I remember the story now,” Bella murmured a moment later, eyes shifting upwards to lock onto her sister’s. “It was about the Quileute people. The legend claimed that they descended from wolves.” Becca blanched at Bella’s words, confusion ebbing as understanding of what she’d meant seemed to dawn. Bella continued with what she could recall of the story, averting her eyes at mention of ‘the cold ones’ whom apparently had everything to do with the Cullen family themselves. 

“So you think that’s what he meant? That he can… _turn into_ one of those wolves?” Becca asked finally when her explanation was done and silence again settled between them. If she hadn’t seen the wolves for herself just the day before, she would have probably laughed in Bella’s face at the notion. But considering that vampires or _cold ones_ were real, why couldn’t other things once thought to be myths be as well? Truthfully, she didn’t know _what_ to believe. 

Bella shrugged, shaking her head as though she were attempting to clear it. “I don’t know. I _saw_ him though, Becca. In my dream, and in the clearing. The same wolf.” Bella paused, before moving to straighten up from where she still sat on the floor just inside the door. “It was Jacob. I know that’s what he was trying to tell me.”

So Jacob Black was a werewolf, purported natural enemy of vampires. Becca nearly snorted out loud derisively at this very thought. It wasn’t as though she didn’t believe it — Bella believed it, and considering what they had seen and all that Bella had told her, Becca believed it too. It just seemed ridiculous — or maybe, it was just that it _should_ have felt ridiculous and somehow didn’t. 

Becca didn’t want to state the obvious out loud, either, although she knew it was on both of their minds. The wolf attacks that Charlie had told them about — could Jacob Black and the other wolves behind the murders? There seemed no other explanation for it, and with eyewitnesses, it seemed less and less likely that there _could_ be any other explanation. 

“I need to go to La Push.” Bella’s half-whisper broke the silence next, and Becca looked up in surprise once again. Considering that this Jacob could be behind some of the recent attacks, it seemed less than smart to confront him now. She shook her head quickly at the thought. 

“What? No,” Becca replied quickly, scoffing at the thought. “It could be dangerous Bella. You’re not going alone, at least. _No way_.” If Charlie hadn’t taken his gun, she almost would have suggested they not go unarmed as well, although _this_ she didn’t verbalize. “I don’t think you should go at all but if you _are_ , I’m coming with you.” She set her jaw in a determined fashion and waited for Bella to disagree. Seeing her expression, it seemed that the other girl decided against it. 

——————

Becca had never been to La Push, and although normally she would have been excited at the prospect, she couldn’t help but feel altogether nervous at the idea. The snarls of the wolves from the day before seemed to echo through her mind as the old truck slowly chugged along down the forest-lined highway which led towards La Push. She wasn’t exactly sure what Bella was wanting to accomplish from this visit, and couldn’t help but notice that her mind seemed to be focused somewhere beyond the road in front of them as they drove as fast as her truck would allow. 

“What will you tell him?” asked Becca as they turned off the highway and onto a gravel drive which led into the reservation. Bella shrugged, not shifting her gaze as the truck approached a small wooden home with narrow, white-trimmed windows. 

“I don’t know. I guess maybe warn him that they’re being hunted,” she answered finally after shifting the truck into park and leaning back against the leather of her seat as she contemplated this. Bella turned then, shooting a glance towards the girl sitting beside her. “Maybe you should stay in the truck? Just in case.”

Like hell. Becca rolled her eyes, contemplating this, before finally agreeing. “Fine. I’ll wait — for ten minutes. I wouldn’t want to bombard him,” she muttered finally, rolling her eyes as she settled back into the passenger seat. “But if you aren’t back in ten, I’m coming in after you,” continued Becca a moment later, her tone an attempt at teasing despite what felt like a rather serious situation. Bella simply nodded, and within a few moments was out of the truck and heading towards the door. She seemed to knock on the faded paint of the door briefly, before letting herself into the house.

Becca sighed as a minute ticked by. The house seemed relatively dark, from what she could see through the windows, and ultimately the area was _quiet_ , aside from brief chirping of birds from the forest’s edge. She drummed her fingers against the hard plastic of the door panel, her eyes shifting from the front of the Black residence and across towards the forest’s edge. She would have sworn that she’d seen a pair of yellow eyes flash back at her briefly but when she’d looked back for it, they had been gone as quickly as they had appeared. She felt a shiver run down her spine and quickly looked away, letting out a breath of air in an attempt to calm herself. “Come on, Bella,” she murmured to herself, eyes anxiously sweeping over the windows and front door of the home as she waited for her sister to return. 

It only took a few minutes longer before the familiar brown haired girl returned to the door, letting herself out and shutting it behind her before starting back for the truck. She hopped somewhat gracelessly onto the driver’s side of the truck’s bench seat before speaking. “He was asleep,” Bella said finally, her tone sheepish as she turned the key in the ignition. The truck sputtered to life as she did. “I told Billy to have him meet us down at the beach when he wakes up.”

Becca didn’t question this, instead simply nodding and looking back out the window as the truck made its way down towards an area which a small, wooden sign denoted as ‘First Beach’. The rain had stopped, and after parking Bella suggested they go for a walk while they waited. Pulling her jacket more tightly around herself, Becca followed in silence as they carefully picked their way down the beach and around the various rocks and sea debris that was scattered through the sand. Neither of them was necessarily the most coordinated, and the last thing they needed was a sprained ankle or any additional bruises or scrapes after their excursion the day before. 

They finally reached a large, white piece of driftwood sturdily wedged between a large pile of rocks. Bella seemed to have been searching for this area specifically, and Becca raised an eyebrow at her relieved release of breath as they approached it. Blushing, Bella cleared her throat before explaining. 

“This is where Jake told me about all of the legends,” she said finally, shrugging. “I just wanted to find it again.” 

Becca simply nodded, moving carefully to sit on one end of the log. She crossed her ankles and leaned forward to look into a pool of clear water below, empty save for several large rocks and broken shells. Before Bella could join her, a deep voice broke the silence. 

_”Hi, Bella.”_ came the voice, drawing the attention of both girls as they turned to look at the new arrival. The boy—man, really—that approached was _huge_ , with short cropped black hair and an expression that looked less friendly than Becca had hoped for someone that Bella seemed to have once been such good friends with. “Billy told me you came by—didn’t take you very long, did it? I knew you could figure it out.” 

He didn’t seem to have noticed Becca, and she stayed silent, not wanting to make the situation any more complicated than it already was.

“Yeah, I remember the story now,” came Bella’s whisper, her voice cracking half-way through the statement as she squeaked it out. Why Jacob couldn’t have just outright told her, Becca didn’t know, but she wasn’t going to ask now.  
Jacob was pacing now, apparently agitated. “You could have just called,” he finally snapped, his tone harsh. Becca’s eyes narrowed at this. Bella seemed to feel an obligation to Jacob, perhaps due to their past friendship, but Becca had no similar qualms. The moment he stepped over the line, she would let him have it. She bit back a quick retort and instead remained silent, one hand closing tightly around a section of driftwood, hard and unyielding. 

“Why did you come?” demanded the man next. If he didn’t stop pacing back and forth Becca was about ready to chuck a rock at him, she decided in a brief flash of annoyance. That was if he _wasn’t_ possibly able to turn into a large, killer wolf. 

“I thought it would be better face-to-face,” Bella was saying, her eyes wide and shifting side-to-side as she followed the other’s movements. 

“Oh, much better.”

Becca was already tired of the snarky attitude, and she internally scoffed at this as the conversation continued. Bella was attempting to warn him of the guns and rewards on their pelts — something that Becca personally thought was more than they deserved if they were truly responsible for all of the killings. Maybe they deserved to get caught, at any rate. That was if there wasn’t a possible risk of someone getting maimed _or worse_ if they did find what they were looking for. 

“They’re not going to catch anything. They’re only making it more difficult—they’ll start disappearing soon enough, too.”

 _They_ included Charlie, Becca reminded herself. Bella seemed to have the same thought, and she stated as much to Jacob. This stopped him in his tracks, and he whirled on Bella suddenly in a motion so abrupt that Bella straightened up, ready to fight if he was about to attack. She wasn’t sure what to expect, and her mind rushed to the worst possible alternatives instead. 

“You’re such a hypocrite, Bella—there you are, terrified of me! How is that fair?” His whole body seemed to shake with a sudden convulsion of rage, and Becca’s eyes widened marginally. 

“ _Hypocrite?_ how does being afraid of a monster make me a hypocrite?” Bella’s voice was steadily becoming more shrill in response. Becca didn’t know what to do and instead stood carefully from where she had been seated. She didn’t think that Jacob had noticed her yet, and that was an advantage if something happened here. If they had to run, they would run. Maybe they wouldn’t be about to outrun a _wolf_ , but Becca would do what she could. She felt her own anger start to boil at his accusing tone, and turned her glare back to him, her expression wary. Bella’s eyes met hers over Jacob’s shoulder and minutely shook her head. 

It was fine, her expression said silently. As though she were convinced he wouldn’t hurt her. Becca wasn’t so easily convinced. She stepped carefully back into the forest line as Bella continued her discussion, their tones raising over discussion of monsters and what sounded like accusations. Becca’s eyes found a softball sized rock on the ground and groped for it quickly. Even if they didn’t end up needing it, she felt better knowing that she wasn’t empty-handed, at the least. 

She stepped back into the open and blinked again through the fog as the two came back into focus. 

“—really necessary to kill people, Jacob? Isn’t there some other way?” She caught the rest of Bella’s question as she made her way back to the large piece of driftwood, and a breath hitched in her throat at her sister’s accusation. 

“Killing people?” His tone caught Becca off guard — she’d been expecting anger, or maybe a justification for what they had been doing, but instead he seemed surprised. Even pleased, in a sense. 

“What did you think we were talking about?” asked Bella, seemingly just as thrown-off as Becca herself. 

“I thought we were talking about your disgust for werewolves.”

Becca nearly laughed as Bella assured him otherwise. She felt as though she were in an alternate reality, where things like this were normal and _expected_. Perhaps for Bella, this was normal.

He was laughing now, his emotions switching so quickly from anger to humor that Becca felt as though she had whiplash just watching the change. She took a half step forward as he stepped quickly towards Bella, pulling her into a tight hug. “I’m not a killer, Bella,” he said finally, mirth seeping into his tone at the revelation that she’d simply thought him a _murderer_.

Becca discreetly dropped the rock as relief welled within her, albeit keeping it well within reach should they need it. While he seemed believable enough, she wasn’t so ready to trust someone that she didn’t know. Especially considering what they had seen of the snarling muzzles in the meadow that day. They didn’t exactly seem _friendly_ , per se. When Bella seemed to be struggling to breathe through the apparent bone-crushing hug, she cleared her throat and finally took a careful step forward through the myriad of rocks. “Do you mind not breaking my sister?” she asked finally, clearing her throat as the words initially came out as little more than a squeak.

Jacob dropped Bella in a flash, his head snapping up warily towards her and squinting through the fog. “Who is that?” he asked, his tone wary and eyes worried as he looked between the two. The laughter seemed to have stopped as quickly as it had come, as well. 

“My sister,” Bella answered once she’d caught her breath. “Becca. You… probably saw her in the clearing. She knows everything.”

Jacob let out a slow breath, shaking his head at the new revelation. “Shit. Well, it’s done now, I guess. Not a great introduction, huh?” he asked the two generally, running a hand over his hair as he took a step back from Bella, although his hand still clutched one of hers. “I’m Jacob. Nice to meet you Becca. I wondered about Bella’s secret new sister, but then everything happened and I never got a chance to come over—” His words trailed off as Becca carefully stepped forward to take a place by Bella’s side, eyes shifting warily to meet his brown ones. She froze at this, feeling almost uncomfortable under the intensity of his gaze. 

“Er— nice to meet you, too, wolf-boy,” she said finally, cracking what felt like an awkward half-smile to defuse the tension. “I’m glad you’re not behind the attacks for Bella’s sake, but I think we’d kind of like an explanation as to who exactly _is_.” 

Bella nodded at this, glancing between the two of them with a mystified expression. “Yeah. What about the other wolves? Sam?” she asked finally, clearing her throat. Jake’s attention seemed to snap back at this, his eyes glancing between the two of them. 

“No, _no_ , it’s none of us. We’re trying to _protect_ the town, all of these hikers, but we’re always just a little too late.”

Gooseflesh seemed to prickle down Becca’s neck at these words. Something much more terrible was out there, then. She hadn’t yet thought that if not for the wolves, then something else had to be behind the killings. Something that even a ferocious pack of wolves seemed unable to stop. It was the furthest thing from a comforting thought.

“Is there really a bear out there, then?” Bella asked, an eyebrow ticking upwards. Becca couldn't help but laugh at the thought, a hand raising to push strands of hair out of her face as she looked between them. A bear seemed to be the least of their worries, and after all that she had seen, it seemed unlikely that any normal animal could be behind all of the killings and attacks.

“Bella. We only protect people from one thing—our one enemy. It’s the reason we exist—because they do.”

Becca didn’t understand at first, but Bella seemed to. Bella froze silently for a moment as the words seemed to sink in before a low cry of horror escaped her. One hand flew to her mouth in surprise, but no explanation was given. 

Becca looked away from her sister and back to Jacob, demanding answers. His eyes were already on her, still staring in the way they had been before. It made her uneasy. Finally, when she didn’t seem to understand, he took pity on her.

“Bloodsuckers. _Vampires_ , Becca.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk if this is enjoyable to read but it's been kind of fun to write something (anything!) again, so here I am. 
> 
> Here's another old quote from the wonderful 2009 fanfic. Talk about a ten-year challenge. Enjoy. 
> 
> "I'm not Bella. I'm Becca, her twin sister she just found out about."
> 
> What an introduction. Wow. 
> 
> Bye!


End file.
